Agitator for washing machines



Jan. 28, 1941.

J. C. NELSON AGITATOR FOR WASHING MACHINES Filed March 15, 1937 IHVEHT ma $4662 cum? A/flSU/V M Z M ATTDRN ET ltl lib

Patented Jan. 28, 1941 STATES PA i101 Acrra'ron roe wasnrno Machines Application March 13,

ll Elaine.

My invention relates to washing machines and,

more particularly, to a novel agitator or dolly therefor.

An object of my invention is to provide an agitator, adapted to be mounted in a washing vat for operation therein, capable of washing clothes thoroughly and in a minimum length of time.

A further object of my invention is to provide an agitator for awashing machine adapted to be mounted for operation in a washing tub or vat containing washing fluid and clothes, the agitator being so constructed and arranged as to effect a thorough washing of the clothes in a minimum length of time without causing undue deterioration of the clothes.

My invention further contemplates the provision of a novel agitator for a washing machine which is adapted to cause circulation of the clothes around the vatin one circulatory direction so as to continuously present new clothes surfaces to the washing action of the agitator,

lid

whereby during the washing operation the entire body of clothes is subjected to the scrubbing and thread-deforming action of the agitator,

More specifically, my invention contemplates the provision of an agitator having a base, a substantially pyramidically shaped central portion extending upward from the base to or above the normal surface level of cleansing fluid, and a plurality of blades extending outward from the edges of the pyramidically shaped central portion, each of the blades extending substantially in the plane of aface of the central portion.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be more apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the-accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a view showing the agitator of my invention and indicating a washing vat in which the agitator is mounted.

Figure 2 isa plan view of the agitator takenon the line 2--2 of Figure 1, in the direction indicated by the arrow.

Figure 3 is a view taken on the line 3 --3 of Figure 2, in the direction indicated by the arrow. Figured is a view showing a modified form of the agitator of my invention.

Figure 5 is a' view taken on the line 5--5 of Figure 4.

The agitator of my invention is adapted to 1937, Serial No. 130,785

(El. 68--1l33) it, ispreferably mounted centrally of the vat Ill and is driven by a shaft it extending upwardly through the bottom of the vet. The drive shaft it may be driven by any suitable mechanism and from any suitable source of power, not necessary to be shown or described herein since such driving mechanism for oscillating the agitator-is well known in the art to which this invention applies. Preferably, the shaft is driven in an oscillatory manner so as to drive the agitator through an arc of 180, more or less, at a comparatively high rate of speed somewhere between fifty and sixty The agitatoritself comprises a preferably circular bottom plate or base it which may, if desired, be substantially flat or may, as shown in the drawing, be sloped upward or crowned as indicated at ll. Extending upward from the base and rigidly secured thereto is a pyramidically shaped central portion. it which has faces l9. "While I have shown in the drawing a triangular pyramid, it will be appreciated that the pyramid may have any desired number of sides. The faces Ill of the pyramid are preferably flat and meet each other'in sharply defined edges 2|. Extending outward from each of the edges 2| of the pyramid is a blade 22 which, as shown in Figure 1, is rather wide at the bottom 23 and parrower toward the top 24. Each of the blade edges curves outward and upward from the base and attains its maximum width at the point 2B, from which point it slopes inward and upward to merge at the top of the pyramidically shaped central portion with the edge of the pyramid. Each of the blades, as shown more clearly in Figures 2 and 3, is bent slightly out of the plane of the adjacent face of the pyramid. It will .be particularly noted that the direction in which each of the blades is bent is the same in the case of each blade. There is thus formed a sharply dcfined pocket 21 extending the heighth of the agitator between each blade and the adjacent face of the pyramid. A cap 28 is mounted at the top of the agitator and secured thereto in any suit able manner. I

In Figures 4 and 5, I have shown a' modification of the agitator shown and described in Figures 1 to 3, inclusive, wherein the blades 29, instead of being bent forwardlyout of the plane of the adjacent face of the pyramid l9, lie in the plane of the face as shown in Figure 5.

When the agitator is placed for operation ina vat containing soap and clothes approximately to the level of the lower-edge of the cap 28 and is driven in an oscillatory manner at a speed of oscillation and amplitude as above indicated, the clothes and washing fluid are violently agitated. The clothes are subjected, by the blades 22 of the structure shown in Figures 1 to 3 of the drawing or the blades 29 of Figures 4 and 5 of the drawing, to a thorough thread-deforming action which serves to loosen the dirt particles. Moreover, because the pockets 21 of the structure shown in Figures 1 to 3 of the drawing and the. pockets 3| of the structure shown in Figures 4 and 5 of the drawing all face in the same direction, the clothes and washing fluid tend to circulate around the vat in one circulatory direction. When the agitator. is rotated in a clockwise direction, the clothes are given a violent impetus in the clockwise direction. When the agitator .is reversed, the clothes and washing fluid are circulated in the opposite direction, but to a lesser extent, so that the resultant action of the agitator is to cause the clothes and washing fluid to circulate around the vat in a clockwise direction, as viewed in the drawing. The only from the side walls of the vat into contact with the agitator. This result is due to the fact that when the agitator rotates in a counterclockwise direction, the suction created in and adjacent the lengthwise pockets formed by the blades tends to draw the clothes from the side walls of the vat toward the pockets.

It will be observed from the foregoing description that the agitators of my invention are of new and novel design and are adapted to cause a definite and positive circulation of the clothes around the vat and an action such as to cause new clothes surfaces continuously to be presented to the scrubbing and thread-deforming action of the agitator. Moreover, it will be apparent that various changes and modifications may be made in the form and relation of parts of the agitator without departing from the spirit of the appended claim.

I claim:

A washing machine comprising a vat, an agitator mounted in said vat and a drive shaft extending upwardly through the bottom of the vat for driving the agitator about a vertical axis in an oscillatory manner, said agitator comprising a substantially horizontally extending base mounted closely adjacent the bottom of the vat, a central substantially pyramidically shaped portion extending upward from the base substantially to the normal surface level of cleansing fluid in the vat, and a plurality of blades extending outward from the edges of the pyramid and rigidly connected thereto, each of said blades extending from one of the edges of the pyramid and being inclined with respect to the vertical, and each of said blades being displaced angularly in the same direction of rotation from each of the planes forming extensions of the two adjacent faces of the pyramid.

JABEZ CURRY NELSON. 

